Cory Warner has owned the car shown here since 1985. That’s nearly two decades of 510 fun, and Cory wouldn’t have it any other way. You might say that he’s wanted a Dime since he was just a kid. "My sister used to date a guy with a 510," Cory tells us. "She fell in love with him and eventually they got married. Me? I fell in love with that ‘72 two-door." Cory said that he used to tag along in the car with his future brother-in-law and was impressed with the way the 510 handled. He even bought an early Revell BRE scale model of the car to build. “I didn’t understand what those BRE stripes on the box meant. In fact, I was disappointed when I couldn’t find any butterscotch paint so the model would match my brother-in-law’s car. Now I know better!"
You would think that a kid that impressed with the Datsun marquee wouldn’t settle for anything less when he finally got around to buying his own first car. Not true. In fact, Cory ended up purchasing the antithesis of a sweet handling Dime. "Call it temporary insanity, but my first car was a ‘73 Javelin. Please don’t laugh." Cory went on to own other big American muscle cars, but never really lost his initial taste for Japanese iron. In the early eighties, he sold a 1970 ‘Cuda, and purchased a 240Z. “I had a great time with the Z-car, but when I ran across a ‘72 510, I just had to have it.” The rest, as they say, is history.
he previous owner of the car was a body man, who had added the BRE flares and painted the car a "refrigerator" white. Once Cory took possession, the 510 immediately became his daily driver, which it remains as today. Along the way Cory has modified and tweaked the car, adding such refinements as a 280zx 5-speed, a roll bar, and aftermarket seats. Then, about a year and a half ago, Cory got serious. "I started tearing the car completely down.” He had Rebello transform the tired L16 power plant into a long-rod L18. They reground the camshaft to improve midrange power, and added a 32/36 Weber to help fuel economy. A 4-into-1 header was ceramic coated, and a VW aluminum radiator bolted in place. "The engine compartment isn’t anything special," says Cory, "just every-day functional."
While the motor was being rebuilt, Cory turned his attention to the chassis. Dave Turner Motorsports supplied new springs and urethane bushings, and the rear cross-member was slotted. The old-school Libra wheels were bead-blasted and repainted, and are now shod with grippy 215-50R13 rubber. The car was also sprayed with the charismatic paint job shown here. "It took a couple of years to decide on the color. Nobody noticed the car when it was white, but, man, does it get looks now.” Cory says that a new windshield, fresh weather stripping all around, sound deadening and new carpeting all add to a new-car feel. Other touches include the trunk-mounted battery, stereo sub box, and stripes on the new door panels that match the ghost BRE stripes on the exterior. "I also pulled out the roll bar to make the car more family-friendly. Guess I’m getting older!"
Cory has autocrossed the car a few times, but he is waiting for a Subaru differential upgrade before heading back to the cones. For the most part, though, he’s content just to daily drive the car. He also reports that the 510 gets much more attention that it used to receive. "People give me the thumbs-up sign all the time. They also stop and tell me they used to own one and have great memories of driving them."
So what’s his own favorite memory in the car? "That’s easy," says Cory. "Any time I’ve been cruising with other Datsuns. It’s just so much fun to drive. I went with about eight roadsters up to Shasta last year for the first time. I also did a trip to Solvang with my wife and two kids. That was probably the best trip so far."
DQ
